Can-cap-feeding device



Aug. 26 1924. 1,506,099

R. 0. WILSON ET AL CAN CAP FEEDING DEVICE mvzn'roas Way 0. Vilma Aug. 261924. 1,506,099

R. 0. WILSON ET AL CAN CAP FEEDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQRSZ fly 0. 715K501:

Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAY 0. WILSON AND ARTHUR D. SUMNER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNORS OF FORTY-NINE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO FRANKLIN F. STETSON, OF LOSANGELES,

CALIFORNIA.

Application filed January 26, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, RAY O. WVILsoN andARTHUR D. SUMNER, citizens of the United States, residing at LosAngeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Can-Cap-Feeding Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to a can-cap feeding mechanism, and particularlypertains to a device for delivering can ends or caps to can bodies asthe latter are advanced and fed into a can-capping machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a construction and arrangementin a 1nechanism for feeding can-caps whereby ejection of a can-cap froma cap container will be effected with a minimum of risk of the cap beingammed or the feed obstructed, and by which irregularities in the caps,such as dents or bends therein will not interfere with the functioningof the feed.

Another object is to provide a can-cap ejector which is so mounted thatit may be automatically retracted and thrown out of an operativeposition in event jamming of a cap should occur so as to protect thefeed mechanism against injury due to obstruction of the ejector.

A further object is to provide an effective means for separating acan-cap from beneath a stack of caps and to advance the separated capinto register with the end of a can body as the latter is advancing onan arcuate path of travel and insuring proper positioning of the caprelative to the can body.

With the foregoing objects in view and such other objects as may laterappear, our invention consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts or their equivalents hereinafter set forth and illustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2, 3, and 1 are plan views of the caps ejecting mechanismshowing the manner of feeding a cap to a rotary can carrier;

Figure 1 showing the ejector in its retracted position;

Figure 2 showing it on its initial advance movement;

Figure 3 showing the ejector in an intermediate advanced position; and

Figure 4: showing it in its fully advanced CANCAPFEEDING DEVICE.

Serial No. 440,216.

position and depicting the can-cap as delivered to a can body.

Figure 5 is a detail in vertical section as seen on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail in vertical section as seen on the line 66 ofFigure 2.

Figure 7 is a view in section as seen on the line 77 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a view in horizontal section as seen on the line 88 ofFigure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view of the cap ejector device.

More specifically, 10 indicates a rotary can body carrier mounted on ashaft 11 and formed with recesses 12 adapted to receive can bodies 13 toadvance the latter, as is common in can-capping machinery. Disposed atone side of the rotary carrieris a can-cap supporting plate 14 abovewhich is located a can-cap guide rack 15 adapted to receive a stack ofcan-caps 16 thelowermost of which seats on the plate 14; the lower endof the rack being supported above the plate and spaced therefrom so thatthe lowermost cap may be passed therebeneath.

Extending upwardly through the plate 14: at a point adjacent to thestack of can: caps is an oscillatory shaft 17 which may be operated inany desired manner, but which is preferably actuated by the mechanismdisclosed in our copending application filed coincident herewith andbearing filing date of January 26, 1921, and Serial No. 440,217.

Mounted on the upper end of the shaft is a pusher bar 18 comprising aflat plate and which extends across the plate 1 1 and is adapted onbeing advanced with the shaft to pass beneath the cap rack to eject thelowermost cap as will be later described. The pusher bar is preferablyso mounted on the shaft that in event of its movement being obstructedit may turn relative to the shaft to prevent damage, and for thispurpose it is mounted as shown in Figure 7, that is, the bar is formedwith a circular opening 19 to receive the end of the shaft whichprojects through the bar and has a reduced threaded end portion 20 toreceive a nut 21. A washer 22 is interposed between the nut and the barand on tightening of the nut clamps the bar against a collar 23 fixed onthe shaft, the upper end of which is nearly flush with the top face ofthe plate 14; the bar thus being adapted to be turned on the shaft inemergency but is sufficiently tight thereon to effect the cap ejectingoperation. The collar 23 is secured on the shaft by a key 24: whichengages the shaft at a point to passthrough the bar and serve as a keyfor the washer 22; the collar and the washer both being formed withchannels to receive the key.

In order that the pusher .bar may beput in place and encircle the key itis formed with a notch 25 on the margin of the opening 19, and as ameans for inhibiting engagement of the bar by the key the latter isformed with a notch 26 arranged opposite the bar and through which themargin of the opening 19 may pass. The collar 23 has a reduceddownwardly extending portion 27 which forms a drum and is arranged in ahousing 28 formed on the underside of the plate 1 A brake band 29encircles the drum, as shown in Figure 8, and is adapted to frictionallybear thereon to oppose loose movement of the shaft; the band beingadjusted by means of a threaded stud 30 which is affixed thereto and eX-tends through the side wall of the housing 28 and is engaged by a nut31. On screwing the nut on the stud to bear against the housing the bandmay be caused to bear against the drum.

An important feature of this invention resides in a means for separatingthe bottom can-cap from the stack and comprises a blade 32 mounted onthe pusher bar and having an arcuate knife edge 33 which projectsforwardly of th bar and is adapted to enter between the two lower capsin advance of the pusher bar and to extend over the, lowermost cap asthe pusher bar is advanced on its arcuate path. As a means for insuringthe proper introduction of the blade between the caps the blade isdesigned to have a slicing action as it moves into engagement with thecaps and for this purpose its arcuate edge is formed to extendexcentr'ic to the periphery of th cap when disposed adjacent thereto andthe inner end of the blade is so protruded as to form a point 3% whichwill initially penetrate the space between the caps as the bladeadvances.

In. the operation of the invention, the cap ejector, comprising thepusher bar 18 and the blade 32, is normally retracted and stationaryclear of the can-caps, as shown, in Figures 1 and 5. The carrier 10 isrotated and when a can body 18 is positioned in a recess 12 it willstrike and rock a wiper 35 as shown in Figure 2 to throw into operationa driving mechanism (not shown) by which the shaft 17 is oscillated toadvance and retract the cap ejector. On the forward arcuate movement ofthe cap ejector the tip 34 of the blade will enter between the twolowermost caps as shown in Figures 2 and 6, and the knife edge willslide with a slicing movement between the caps. The pointed penetrationof the blade lessens possibility of theblade striking the edge of acan-cap and with the slicing action insures the blade properlyseparating the caps in event they are bent or dented at their edges. Theblade thus rides over the lowermost cap and the pusher bar moves againstthe cap and shoves it forward as the bar advances, the cap beingadvanced on the plate 14 againsta guide flange 36 on the plate 14- whichflange extends toward and terminates adjacent the arcuate path of travelof the can-body carrier and inclines at an angle relative to thepusher-bar toward the direction of the advance move ment of the can-bodycarrier. The can-cap is thus positioned between the stationary guideflange and the advancing pusher-bar and by reason of the angularrelation of the flange and pusher bar the can-cap is caused to moveoutwardly and to. traverse the length of the guide flange and alsoadvance longitudinally of the pusher bar, so that when the pusher-bar isin its fully advanced position the can-cap will be projected onto a capsupporting shoulder 37 in the can-body receiving recess and positionedabove the can-body, asshown in Figures 4c and 7 The guide flangeterminates at its outer end at such point and the pusher-bar is of suchlength and moves such distance that the can-cap will be caused to be advanced by the pusher-bar about half the diameter of the cap beyond theend of the flange, so that the cap will be projected into the recess 12.

The movements of the can carrier and the cap ejector are so timed thatwhen the push bar reaches its forwardmost position, the can-bodyreceiving recess will be disposed to receive the can-cap. When the caphas been ejected it will be supported at its outer edge on the shoulder37 in the recess as shown in Figure 7, and at its inner edge on theplate 14. The cap will then be engaged by the can carrier and carriedforward thereby, and moved clear of the ejector, whereupon its inneredge will be supported on a track 88. The pusher-bar is designed topause at the termination of its advance stroke until the cap has beenmoved clear of its outer end so as to obviate any possibility of the capbeing forced backward and thus insure its being carried forward, whichpause is effected by the cap ejector driving means set forth in the application before referred to.

The pusher-bar 18 so arranged relative to the can-cap and the guideflange that on initial movement of the pusher-bar it will contact theedge of the can-cap at a point approximately at right angles to thepoint of contact of the cap with the guide flange so that on advancemovement of the pusherbar a rotary or rolling motion will be imparted tothe can-cap so that the latter will have a rolling movement whenentering the can-carrier, thus effecting a smooth action.

lVhen the cap ejector is in its advanced position the stack of caps willbe supported thereon as shown in Figure 7, but on retraction of the barclear of the stack it will drop to the plate 14 and dispose another capin position to be advanced by the pusher-bar.

In event a cap should become jammed so as to prevent movement of thepusher-bar, or should the movement of the pusher-bar be otherwiseobstructed, the shaft may turn relative to the pusher-bar by reason ofthe frictional engagement therebetween before described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided a simple andeffecti e cap feeding mechanism by which a cap may be removed frombeneath a stack of caps and advanced to one side thereof into a positionabove a can-body moving on a circular path, and which mechanism is notliable to get out of order or to injure the caps handled thereby.

We claim:

1. In a can-cap feeding mechanism, an oscillating pusher-bar arranged tointersect a stack of can-caps on its forward movement and adapted toadvance the lowermost cancap, and fixed means co-operating with thepusher-bar on its forward movement for causing the can-cap beingadvanced by the pusher-bar to move longitudinally of the pusher-bar andbe ejected at the outer end of the pusher-bar.

2. In a can-cap feeding mechanism, a horizontal can-cap supportingplate, a fixed guide flange on said plate located to extend to one sideof a can-cap stack on the plate, and an oscillatory pusher-bar mountedto traverse said plate toward and away from one side of said guideflange and to intersect the stack of caircaps, said pusher-barcooperating to advance can-cap from beneath the stack against the guideflange, and the latter co-operating with the pusher-bar to shove thecan-cap outwardly in the direction of the length of the pusher-bar.

3. In a can-capping machine, a horizontal rotary can-body carrier havinga can-body receiving recess formed with a can-cap receiving shoulder,said recess to traverse an arcuate path, a horizontal can-cap supportingplate at one side of said carrier, a sta tionary guide flange on saidplate extending toward the arcuate path of travel of the recess andextending diagonally toward the direction of advance movement of thecarrier and located to one side of the can-cap stack. an oscillatorypusher-bar normally extending clear of the can-cap stack on the sidethereof opposite the guide flange and adapted on its advance movement tointersect the can-cap stack and to shove the cancap seating on the plateagainst the guide flange and to cause the cap to move outwardly betweenthe pusher-bar and guide flange and to be projected into the recess onthe cap receiving shoulder; the forward stroke of the pusher-barterminating in spaced relation to the guide flange at a point to serveas a stop to prevent backward movement of the can-cap.

4. In a can-cap feeding mechanism, an oscillatory pusher-bar mounted tomove back and forth toward and away from a stack of can-caps, and a capseparating blade on said pusher-bar projecting forward from the edgethereof and adapted to enter between a pair of superimposed caps beforethe pusher-bar strikes the lowermost cap, said blade having a knife edgeone end of which protrudes to form an entering point and arranged toinitially enter the stack of cancaps on the advance stroke of thepusherbar.

5. In a can-cap feeding machine, an oscillatory pusher-bar, and a bladeon the top of said bar projecting to one side thereof having an arcuateknife edge one end of which protrudes to form an entering wedge, saidpusher-bar being mounted to traverse an arcuate path to one side of astack of can-caps and arranged to intersect the stack of can-caps; theknife edge of the blade be ing so positioned relative to the bar and thecaps that the wedge end of the blade will initially enter between thetwo lowermost can-caps of the stack and the blade follow with a slicingmovement as it is advanced to separate the two lowermost cancaps, andthe pusher-bar being arranged to shove the lowermost can-cap; andstationary means co-operating with the pusherbar on advance of thelatter to move the cap lengthwise of the pusher-bar.

6. In a can-cap feeding mechanism, an oscillatory pusher-bar, a blade onthe top of said bar projecting beyond one edge thereof, said bladeformed with an arcuate knife edge the inner end of which forms anentering wedge, and a stationary guide flange arranged to extend inspaced relation to the pusher-bar when the latter is in its advancedposition.

7. In a can-cap feeding machine, a shaft, a collar on the shaft, apusher bar through which the shaft slidably extends, said bar seating onsaid collar, a washer bearing on said bar, a nut screwed on said shaftfor clamping the bar between the washer and collar, and a key on saidshaft engaging the collar and the washer, said key having a notchspanning the bar to permit rotation of the latter on the shaft.

8. In a can-cap feeding machine, a canbody carrier having a recessarranged to traverse an arcuate path of travel, a can cap sup-portingplate, a stationary guide flange on said plate located to extend 5diagonally between a stack of can-caps on the plate and the can carrier,said guide flange terminating adjacent to the path of travel of therecess and extending diagonally in the direction ofadvanoe movement ofthe carrier, and an oscillatory pusher-bar adapted to shove a can-capalong said sta- RAY O. l/VILSON. ARTHUR D.- SUMNER;

